Hand operated needle



Patented July 14, 1931 mwsnn .14. normaux, or Bos'roN, mssacnusmrs, sssrenon 'ro nnnnmv ylm'rol'n'rrc l HOBIIBY KINDER INC., 01?' BOSTON", MASSACHUSETTS OPERATED NEEDLE appunti mea april 2, 192s, sex-m1 This invention relates to improvements in hand-o rated needles, and more particularly to n es adapted for use in repairing ravels or runs in knitted or crocheted goods, such as stockings, mittens, sweaters, textile bags, and the like.

In using devices of this kind2 the repairing operation consists-essentially 1n first inserting theend of the needle through the last loop of the ravel, then moving the needle forwardly to catch the 'next thread in a hook which is ordinarily provided at .the point of the needle, and finally withdrawin the needle s o that the second thread is rawn through the initial loop, to form a new loop. Using the newly formed loop as the first loop in the operation, this procedure is repeated until the ravel or run is vcompletely re 1aired. The needles heretofore constructed or this purpose have proved objectionablefor the reason that when moving the needle forwardly with speed. it is not always possible to prevent the tip of the latch from moving down below the next thread with the result that very often the ti of the latch instead of the hook is engage by this latter thread and closed b it without any thread 'bein in the hook. he original loop .according y slips over an empty hook causmg the work .t'o unravel further thus undoing a considerable portionl of the work already done and also causing a considerable loss of time in making it necessary tostart the work all over again. Also ver often the hook engages two 35 or more succee 'ng threads instead of one thus resulting in faulty work which has to be undone and redone and requirin very close visual attention on the part of t e operator resulting in a strain on the operators eyes. It is `accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide a needlehavlng a stop member intermediate its ends, so arrangedA that just as the first loop is passing over the tip of the latch the stop member will'meet the next thread transversely and preventthe No. 266,718. Benewedflfay 18, 1929.

needle;

Fig. 2 isa front elevation thereof; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation oppositeto thaty of Fig. l; and

the repairing operation.

The device comprises a or brid body7 portion '.7. which is made of fused metalgor other suit., able rigid material and a steel'needle 8 fixed f' at one end within the body portion ,and hav; ing a curved hook 9 at its outer end.4 A lath 10 is loosely ivoted to the needle 'so I Figs. 4, 5 and 6A show theseveralsteps in in proximity to the hoo 9 so that it may befswung forwardly to close the hook as sh own f in Figs. 1 and 3, or backwardly u) l side of the needle.

Fixed also in the body, Ition'?- and'extending parallel to the nee e approximately half way toward its hook, isa sprin steel clasp member 11 havin'its outer en bent transversely of the nee e to form an abu't-4 l ment 12 which serves as a thread sto member valthough this may take variousv other forms.

The operation of the improved needle is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 which show different sitions of the needle when worked by han Aupon a very loosely knitted fabric.

The process illustrated may, however, be

Exacticed in the same manner' with closely itted material.` Assuming that loop 13 is the last existin loop at the end or top of a run in the go s, the point of the needle 1s first inserted downwardly through this loop needle as a whole and thus preventing the tip v tween the rshank and the P v lo thread 14, of which the new 'loop 1s to be in such maiiner that the yarn ,ir thread asses upwards on the shank of'tlie needle. e latch 10 will be carried toward the shank of the needle by its engagement with loop 13 until the thread 4 slips over its end and beresilient clasp 11. At this instant the tip of the latch will be disposed rearwardly of the sto 12, as the point of the needle is pushed orwardly to ermit the hook 9 to catch under the next formed This position is shown in Fig. 4, from which it will be noticed that thestop member 12 has met the thread 14, therebg' restraining `further forward movement o the of the latch from proceeding` forwardly beyond and catchin under the thread 14 and accordingly avoi ing premature closing of the `latch.

The needle is then drawn rearwardl permitting the thread 14 to be caught y the hook 9. Loop needle catching under the tip of latch 9 and closing the latch so that thread '14 is secured within the hook 9. Fig. 5 shows the position of the thread and needle elements just before the latch is closed. A further rearward and upward pull upon the needle will draw the thread 14 through loop 13 to form a new loop 15. When the new loop has been formed the latch will aglain be opened by reason of its inertia upon t e sudden cessation of the rearward pull of the needle, and the needle is then in position to repeat the operation.

v See Fig. 6.

It will be understood that these operations are usually performed at gre at speed and with a minimum `of visual attention on the part of the operator. For this reason the lprovision of the stop member 12 is a cardinal l feature of my invention, because it notvoniy prevents the tip of the latch from proceeding forwardly beyond thread 14 and being closed by it prematurely, but it also impedes forward progress of the needle so that more thanl one thread will not be caught by the hook 9. The needle is pulled rearwardly with a quick jerk and sudden stop, so that the latch is` thrown backward to open osition, as in the last operation above descri ed. Thus, without sacrificing any of the advantages of the devices heretofore in use, I have devised an improved, hand operated repairing needle which saves many delays which frequently have heretofore` resulted because, without fault of the operator, the work had to be stopped to correct mistakes due to faulty construction of the prior devices.

I claim:

`l1. A device of the character described comprising a needle having a hooked end adapted to pass through the initial loop of the fabric to be repaired and to engage a succeeding thread in said fabric, a latch pivoted to 13 will slide forwardly of the` the needle in proximity to its lhooked end and adapted to close upon said hook to retain said succeeding thread therein, and a stop member fixed transversely` of the needle rearwardly of and adjacent t e latch pivot, said stop member being adapted to meet said thread during forward progress of the needle, thereby to impede said forward progressand revent the engagement of another thread wlthin said hook.

2. A device of the character described comprising'a needle having a hook at its free forlatch pivot and forwardly of the tip of they? latch whenthe latch assumes its extreme rearward position, said stop member serving to meet a thread of the fabric during forward' progress of the needle thereby to restrain the tip of the latch from proceeding forwardly beyond saidv thread and hence to prevent prematureI closing of the latch.

3. A needle for mending knitted fabric comprising a shank, a hook upon vthe shank a latch having one end pivotally mounted upon the shank and its free end coacting with the hook whereby a thread looped around the latch and the shank may pass over the Ilpoint of the latch, and a stop Vupon the sha located adjacent to the oint of the latch when in the open position or engaging a straight thread of the fabric and holding the latter from passing over the point of the latch.

4. A needle for mending knitted fabric comprising a shank, a hook formed upon the end of the shank, a latch having one end pivoted upon the shank and its free end movable in a plane in alignment with the plane of the hook and coacting with the latter, a stop ward end, a latch pivoted to the needle near mounted upon the shank and positioned upon j the edge of the latter upon which the hook and the latch are positioned, and said stop located adjacent to the point of the latch when it is in the open position for engaging a straight thread of the fabric and holding the latter from passing over the point of the latch when in the open position.

5. A device of the character described comprising a needle having a Shank portion adapted to pass through a loop of the fabric to be repaired, a hook at the end of said shank adapted to receive a succeeding thread of said fabric, and a stop member disposed adjacent the shank of the needle and extending transversely thereof, said stop member being constructed and arranged to meet said succeedf ing thread during forward progress of the needle, thereby to impede said forward progress and prevent the hook from grasping more than one thread.

6. A device of the character described comprising a needle having a hooked end adapted to engage a succeeding thread of the fabric to be repaired, a resilient clasp extending forwardly along the shank of the needle and terminating short of said hooked end, said clas being adapted to receive and temporari y retain an existing loop of the fabric, the forward end of the clasp being bent transversely of the needle, thereby provi a stop member adapted to meet a. succeeding thread' of the fabric during forward progress of the needle, and to impede said forward progress so that only one vsucceeding thread is engaged by the hooked end of the needle. In testimonvhereof I aix my si ature.

WARD J. HOFF AN. 

